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Lionel Messi to Miss Barcelona's United States Tour Due to Calf Injury
August 5, 2019
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will not take part in the club's pre-season tour of the United States due to a calf injury.
The Blaugrana confirmed the news in a statement on their official website on Monday, noting the Argentina international has a Grade 1 calf strain.
"Messi will remain in Barcelona and will now not travel to the USA for the club's tour," read the statement. "His availability to come back to action will be dictated by his recovery from the injury."
Messi was part of the Barcelona squad for the Joan Gamper Trophy showdown with Arsenal on Sunday, although he was an unused substitute on the day.
As is tradition as club captain, the 32-year-old addressed the supporters at the Camp Nou ahead of the new campaign:
The Blaugrana noted that Messi was due to return to training on Monday before the team continued their pre-season preparations in the United States.
Messi's delayed return to action was due to his participation in the Copa America, when he helped Argentina make it to the semi-finals of the competition.
Samuel Marsden of ESPN FC noted the Blaugrana star was involved in a session in the morning before Barcelona confirmed his injury:
The La Liga winners have two dates on their tour of the United States, both against Serie A side Napoli.
The two will meet at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Thursday before they face off for a second time on Saturday at Michigan Stadium, which has a capacity of 107,000.
Not having Messi as part of the travelling party will be a major blow to supporters in America who would have been excited to see him in flesh.
Eleven Sports offered a reminder of some of the forward's best moments from an excellent 2018-19 season:
Last term, Messi scored 36 times in his 34 La Liga appearances and also registered 13 assists.
Barcelona coasted to the La Liga title in 2018-19, although their campaign ended on a low note due to their performances in the cup competitions. They caved in in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Liverpool and lost the Copa del Rey final to Valencia.
Even with Messi absent, Barcelona aren't short of attacking options. They signed Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid this summer and still have one of the best forwards in the world in Luis Suarez.